Car Bomb Kills 15 in Pakistan’s Karachi

A massive car bomb ripped through a police building in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, Thursday, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens of others.

Officials say militants first opened fire on police before detonating explosives that leveled the headquarters of the office of the Crime Investigation Department.

The Pakistani Taliban took responsibility for the attack.

The force of the blast created a large carter and damaged several neighboring buildings and vehicles in the high security area of Karachi, which also is home to the U.S. consulate.

More than 100 people, including children, were wounded in the attack. At least five police officers were among the dead.

The CID building is used as a detention facility for criminals and terrorism suspects.

Karachi, the southern port city, has a population of about 16 million and is known as Pakistan’s economic hub.

In the country’s north, Pakistani intelligence officials say a U.S. missile strike Thursday killed at least six suspected militants as they returned home to Pakistan from neighboring Afghanistan.

Officials say a drone fired several missiles at a house in the North Waziristan tribal region, just a few kilometers from the Afghan border.

The United States has increased its use of missiles launched from unmanned aircraft against Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militants in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal area. There have been at least 40 of the strikes in that region since September.

The U.S. does not publicly acknowledge the attacks, which are often criticized by Pakistani officials as a violation of their country’s sovereignty.

Separately, Pakistani officials say authorities briefly detained an American man at an airport in the eastern city of Lahore after discovering 30 rounds of ammunition in his luggage.

Police say the 70-year-old man told authorities he was a retired teacher at a missionary school in Lahore. The American was reported to be on his way to Dubai. He was released on bail.

The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said Thursday it is looking into the case.

Some information in this story was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.